B by sarah Kay

B by Sarah Kay

Instead of mom, she’s going to call me “point b”
Because that way she knows that no matter what happens, At least she can always find her way to me.
& I’m going to paint the solar system on the back of her hands
so that she has to learn the entire universe before she can say
“oh, i know that like the back of my hand.”

she’s going to learn that this life will hit you, hard, in the face,
wait for you to get back up so it can kick you in the stomach,
but getting the wind knocked out of you is
the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
there is hurt, here, that cannot be fixed by band-aids or poetry,
so the first time she realizes that wonder woman isn’t coming,
i’ll make sure she knows she doesn’t have to wear the cape all by herself.
because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers
your hands will always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal,
believe me, i’ve tried.

& “Baby,” I’ll tell her “don’t keep your nose up in the air like that, I know that trick,
you’re just smelling for smoke so you can follow the trail back
to a burning house so you can find the boy who lost everything in the fire
to see if you can save him or else find the boy who lit the fire in the first place
to see if you can change him.”
but I know that she will anyway
so instead I’ll always keep an extra supply of chocolate & rain boots nearby
because there is no heartbreak that chocolate can’t fix.
okay, there’s a few heartbreaks chocolate can’t fix
but that’s what the rain boots are for
because rain will wash away everything if you let it.

I want her to see the world through the underside of a glass bottom boat,
to look through a magnifying glass at the galaxies that exist on the pin point of a human mind.
because that’s how my mom taught me,
that there’ll be days like this,
“There’ll be day’s like this my momma said.”
when you open your hands to catch
& end up with only blisters & bruises,
when you step out of the phone booth & try to fly
& the very people you want to save are the ones standing on your cape,
when your boots will fill with rain & you’ll be up to your knees in disappointment
& those are the very days you have all the more reason to say “thank you,”
because there is nothing more beautiful than the way
the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline
no matter how many times it’s sent it away.

You will put the “win” in win some lose some,
you will put the “star” in starting over & over.
no matter how many land mines erupt in a minute
be sure your mind lands on the beauty of this funny place called life.
& yes, on a scale of one to over-trusting
I am pretty ******* naive but i want her to know
that this world is made out of sugar.
it can crumble so easily but don’t be afraid to stick your tongue out & taste it.

“Baby,” i’ll tell her “remember your mama is a worrier
but your papa is a warrior & you are the girl with small hands
& big eyes who never stops asking for more.”
remember that good things come in threes
& so do bad things & always apologize when you’ve done something wrong
but don’t ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining.
your voice is small but don’t ever stop singing
& when they finally hand you heartbreak,
slip hatred & war under your doorstep
& hand your hand-outs on street corners of cynicism & defeat,
you tell them that they really ought to meet your mother.

Random Thoughts on a Rainy Day

Rainy days and Sundays (sic!) do get me down, but not in the usual sense. The pitter patter of the raindrops make me feel like snuggling under a thick blanket with good, cheesy, chick-lit, but it makes me feel happy, rather than sad.The cold crispy weather makes me stop, slow down, and muse on random thoughts I would normally breeze through on busy sunny days.

It's December once again, the loveliest, yet craziest time of the year. Eleven days till the hubby comes home. Yey! I'm not a single parent anymore! I finally have someone to share the princess' antics and tantrums. Hon, it's your turn to run after her when she spots something in the mall. Let's see you try to pry that cheap plastic toy out of her hands.

Mall... hmm, no Christmas shopping yet. Not a single gift. Uh-oh! To all my friends, can I give your gifts in February instead?

We have our heart set on getting the princess a kitchen bonanza this year. But the stores only have the cheap-looking-(but not cheaply priced)- will-be-destroyed-in-1-week plastic sets. Maybe we should score those expat-surplus shops in Pampanga, where the diplomats throw away their once loved Fisher-Price/ Playskool stuff.

Get together with the high school crowd later this month. Looking forward to it. Hope it pushes through. While before it was mostly dinners and drinks, now the motley assemble will include spouses, kids, yayas and all sorts of attachments.How fast the years have gone. It should be a blast. Maybe we can still have our tong-its matches. But I think I've forgotten how to do it. Paging Ken and Eric!

Lately I've been noticing that I blab too much. My husband will disagree that it hasn't only been lately. Reminder to self: talk less, listen more. Furthermore, should practice more patience and be more tolerant. December resolutions!

Love the rain, I only wish I wasn't at work now. Yes, I'm at work as I am typing this. Rare moment of breather while on duty. A good cup of coffee sounds so good.

Rain, just keep it light. No floods please.

Last night, the princess kept her Tag Junior tapped repeatedly on the spot that plays Joy To The World. She probably thinks its an Ipod or Walkman (umamin na ang mga minsang nag-mamay-ari ng walkman, yes, ganun na tayo katanda). Christmas carols bring back the wonderful days of our childhood. They just make me feel good. A friend once told me it is our job as parents to make wonderful memories for our children. But then, it's not really a job, right? Just as our parents before us made sure Christmas is special for us, it's now our turn to make this blessed season unforgettable, not just for our little ones, but for everyone we touch.

Therefore I should get off my ass and start making Christmas happen. And go shopping.

You, too!

Night,Night Blessings

As a parent, I am always on the look out for children's books that are not only educational but entertaining as well. Night, night blessings is a cheerful, simple, lovable volume, that takes you on a child's usual day, from breakfast with pancakes, to playing with pets, to good night kisses. And each moment is something to be thankful for. The book not only makes us realize how precious time is to our children, but also teaches them to be grateful for even the simplest things.
My daughter is a bundle of energy, and getting her to sleep is sometimes a struggle. Reading her this book at night serves to round up her day's adventure. And makes both mom and daughter happy and thankful for night, night blessings.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Heaven is For Real

We all have our idea of what heaven is like. It could be a vision of pearly gates opening to fluffy white clouds , or a shimmering beach front with waves that go on forever as a warm breeze tickles our cheeks. We all believe heaven is real. But what if someone tells you right in front of your face, that ' yes, it is real, and I've seen it with my very own eyes.'
Colton Burpo's a-matter-of-fact declarations of his experience in heaven serves to shake the very core of every believer. Sure, we all believe it exists, but when given indelible proof that IT IS THERE, whose faith would not be moved? When you see a child holding on to a dying man's hand, reassuring him that he has no reason to be afraid, that Jesus will be waiting on the other end, wouldn't your knees buckle and your world tilt?
I am an ordinary Christian, with my own idea of faith, my moments of doubts, my vague ideas of heaven and life thereafter. Colton's candor in saying that angels do sing, that swords are present in heaven, that Jesus has the prettiest eyes, made me look deep into my heart and reassess all that I have held to be true. He has no reason to make up stories, he has no motive to create fantasies. He is back from Jesus' arms to make us realize that He is around.
It is a must read for anyone who has believed, seeks to believe and wants others to believe that heaven is for real.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Max on Life

We've all had questions we've been wanting to ask, with answers that appear to be vague when presented to us. Sometimes,, we've known the answers all along but just didn't know how relevant they are until we are facing a crucial point in our lives, when suddenly a light bulb appears! Eureka! So that's what it means.
Max on Life is exactly that. A compilation full of AHA! moments. A collection of FAQ's and answers, if you will. The book is a beautiful collective of thoughts, advice and memoirs grouped according to topics that will appeal to people of different ages and stages of their lives: faith, hope, relationships, marriage, death and many other.
The book is best appreciated by reading it one topic at a time,as an interest or a quest for an answer grows, savoring each well-crafted response to very real queries in our daily lives. There will be a lot of "aha's", some " oh I didn't know that" and countless "wow's"
Max on Life does exactly that, maxes up on life and makes it a beautiful life indeed.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Seeds of Turmoil

Israel. Palestine. The Middle East. The Holy Lands. When you hear those places on the nightly news, it is no surprise to hear that once again they are engaged in a battle for sovereignty, power and religion. It makes one think, why is that area so filled with turmoil? What is it about that part of the world that is so controversial? Why cannot these people live in harmony side by side?

"Seeds of Turmoil" goes in depth to the root of why Jews, Christians and Muslims embattle themselves in that land on the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is just not a matter of religious differences that they fight over, but their claims over these disputed lands are based on the very beginnings of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

This book proved to be an eye-opener for me, as it allowed me understand why it would not be easy to dismiss the seemingly endless wars in that area as merely territorial issues. It goes deeper than that, and I find myself wondering how their issues could be resolved.

"Seeds of Turmoil" is a great book as it gives people a backgrounder of the"seeds." It does, however, go a little shallow on the Muslim viewpoint of the conflicts, but since the author is a Christian, perhaps it can be complimented by a similar account by a Muslim authority.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Musings on a Rainy Morning

Don't you just love the rain? The past few mornings, we have woken up to the pitter-patter of raindrops outside the window. The cool breeze has already had us turning off the electric fan in the wee hours of the morning. Ah, what a relief from the sweltering heat of the past few weeks. I do not know if it is the same with all mothers out there, but it seems I never lost the heat intolerance I developed during my pregnancy.

The incessant drip-drop reassures me that earth is receiving its sustenance and life will soon rise up from the ground. So long as it does not become torrential and floods out everything again!!!

The daughter already has her singing-in-the-rain number down to a pat. She grabs an open umbrella and tries to hoist it up her head while walking. Ok, she resembles a toadstool when seen from the sides, with her upper body concealed by the umbrella, but its a refreshing sight to this proud mommy who thinks everything she does is adorable. Ok, not everything...

Although it means fewer patients would me coming to the clinic (again!) because of the wet weather, the rain seems to be a wonderful thing. It urges one to relax, slow down, reach for a cup of hot chocolate, open a book, or look out the window and just ponder on life so beautiful.